Flexible Printed Circuit Board for Watch Motor Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Quartz watches with analogue displays face challenges due to rigid printed circuit boards, which limit space and weight savings, integration ease, vibration resistance, and the complexity of dial connection to the printed circuit board, as well as restricted mounting of electronic components.
Innovation Solution
A timepiece design featuring a flexible printed circuit board with multiple portions, where the motor module is supported by a rigid mounting plate, allowing for increased component mounting and flexibility, and a plastic spacer for cost-effectiveness, enabling the use of a flexible printed circuit board without direct dial connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a rigid printed circuit board is used, then structural stability is maintained, but space efficiency and weight reduction are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The printed circuit board is divided into multiple portions (first portion, second portion, and flexible part) that can be independently positioned and folded. This segmentation allows the board to achieve both rigidity where needed and flexibility where required, enabling weight reduction while maintaining structural stability through strategic rigid segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The printed circuit board transitions from a completely rigid structure to a dynamic configuration with flexible parts that can be folded onto the motor module. This dynamic approach allows the board to adapt its shape and stiffness based on functional requirements, achieving space efficiency while maintaining necessary structural stability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a rigid printed circuit board is used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but integration flexibility and component mounting options are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the printed circuit board into multiple portions, the design enables flexible integration of electronic components on both sides of the board and allows the board to be folded onto the motor module. This segmentation provides mounting options for components like antennas and sensors while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standardized connection methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The printed circuit board utilizes three-dimensional folding to create a second portion that extends onto the motor module. This dimensional change allows components to be mounted on multiple surfaces (top, bottom, and side surfaces of the folded portion), significantly increasing integration flexibility without substantially increasing manufacturing complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If the dial is electrically connected to the printed circuit board, then electrical functionality is achieved, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The motor module is extracted from the dial assembly and positioned independently on the flexible printed circuit board. This separation eliminates the need for direct electrical connection between the dial and printed circuit board, simplifying assembly while maintaining electrical functionality through the board's conductive paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible printed circuit board serves as an intermediary that provides both mechanical support and electrical connection. By positioning the motor module on the board rather than directly connecting it to the dial, the board acts as a mediator that simplifies assembly while ensuring proper electrical connectivity through its conductive tracks.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If a flexible printed circuit board is used, then space efficiency and vibration resistance are improved, but structural rigidity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible printed circuit board is segmented into rigid portions and flexible parts. The rigid portions maintain structural rigidity where needed for stability, while the flexible parts provide vibration resistance and space efficiency. This segmentation allows the board to simultaneously achieve both rigidity and flexibility based on functional requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the printed circuit board have different mechanical properties - some areas are rigid to maintain structural stability, while other areas are flexible to provide vibration resistance and accommodate the motor module. This local differentiation of material properties allows the board to optimize both rigidity and vibration resistance simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
A timepiece including a case middle closed by a glass and the following elements positioned in the case middle: a dial, a rigid mounting plate extending under the dial, a module including an electric motor, referred to as the motor module, a printed circuit board, of which at least a first portion is interposed between the mounting plate and the motor module, means for the assembly of the motor module on the mounting plate through the first portion of the printed circuit board.